Pocket lighter



Oct. 25, 1949. 4 A CAMPOS 2,485,956

POCKET LIGHTER Filed Oct. 2, .1946

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25 j* I. I *+5 up!` Ililllliii INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 25, 1949 POCKET LIGHTER Adolph Campos', Newark,N'. J., assignor to Chester Mueller, Newark, N. J.

Application October 2, 1946, Serial No. 700,635

( C1.A GT--TJ 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a pocket lighter, and more particularly to thetype in which movement of a nger piece on the exterior opens the lighterand operates to create a spark to ignite the wick.

One object of my invention is to provide a lighter in which a sing-leImovement of a finger piece uncovers the lighter and ignites the wick.

Another object of my invention is to provide a wick guide thatfacilitates the insertion of a new wick, prevents its kinking when inplace and, withal, gives free accessV by the fuel to the wick.

A further object is to provide a lighter which is inexpensive inconstruction, but rugged and reliable in operation.

Other objects will appear in the description which follows.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational sectional view of my lighter with partsin section and parts broken away, when in normal or closed position.

Figure 2 is a side elevationalA view withparts in section and partsbroken away, of the same lighter shown in Figure 1, when in openposition.

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken along line 3-3 of Figure2.

Figure 4 is an isometric of the finger piece and attached shafts, whichactuate the opening of the cover and the ignition of the wick.

Referring to the drawing in which the same numbers identify the same orsimilar parts throughout the several views, the construction is a-sfollows:

Case I encloses and supports the bulk of the lighter parts and hasattached to it cover 2, by means of hinge 3. When cover 2 is closed, thelighter has no parts visible on its exterior, except hinge 3, fingerpiece 4 and closure members 24.

Finger piece 4 projects outwardly through an opening in case I andinwardly has shafts 5 fixed thereto. Both of these shafts are turned inat their outer ends, as best shown in Figure 4, to permit them to bejournalled in eye 9, which is formed in one surface of forked lever 6.

Forked lever 6 pivots on pin l, and is held in the position shown inFigure l by engagement with closing spring 8, which is also mounted onpin 1. Pin 'I i-s, at each end, secured to frame I6 of housing I3.Movement of forked lever 6 rear- Ward towards hinge 3 is resisted byclosing spring 8, and the energy stored up in this spring serves torestore forked lever 6 to its position as shown in Figure 1, whenpressure is released from finger piece 4. Attached to cover 2, by beingrotatably mounted on cover pin II, is link I0 which is an elongated Ushaped piece secured at its open ends by means of two pivot pins 32 tothe open ends of U shaped clutch holder 28.

Link pin I2, secured at its ends to the legs of Uv shaped link IIl, isengaged with forked lever 6 by being positioned within the forkedI end.

Snugly fitted within case I and supporting all internal lighter parts ishousing I3, which partitions off most of case I as a fuel receptacle.Housing I3 consists of rectangular framev I6, enclosing; platform I5and, step I5 and two semicircular parallel plates I4 extending upwardfrom platform I5 well above the top edge of case I. Plates I4 supportthe moving, spark producing, parts that lie within cover 2 when the.lighter is closed. Step 'I5'v provides space I'I within frame I6 toaccommodate pin 'I' and the lower portion of forked lever 6.

Housing I3 seals, oif that part of case I comprising the fuelvreservoir, by reason of the close t of its side and end walls with thewalls of case I'. Extending through platform I5 is pyrophoric feedingmechanism I8 and wick guide tube 22. The pyrophoric feeding mechanism I8extends downward to the bottom of case I, being closed at its outer endby closure member 24. At its upper extremity is pyrophoric element I9.Wick 20 is held in wick holder 2|, which is contained in frictionalengagement Within wick guide tube 22. Longitudinal slots 23 are cut inwick guide tube 22 in opposite sides of the tube and permit thecontained wick 20 to freely contact fuel absorbent material 25.

Abradant wheel 26 is supported by, and rotatable on, shaft 21, which isfixed at its outer ends to parallel plates I4 of housing I3. U shapedclutch holder 28 is also mounted and rotatable on shaft 21, being at itsopen ends movably secured with pivot pins 32 to link I0.

Within clutch holder 28 is clutch 29, rotatably mounted on shaft 2'I andnested within clutch holder 28, so that it moves with it and serves as aone way clutch. Clutch 29 is normally in engagement with an interspaceof ratchet 30, which projects from the side of abradant wheel 26 on itsperiphery. Serrations 3|, on the surface of abradant wheel 26, areprovided for contact with pyrophorie element I9.

The operation of the pocket lighter is as follows. The operator may holdthe lighter in one hand and by pressing finger piece 4, movement throughshafts 5 is transmitted through forked lever 6, compressing closingspring 8. In turn, this movement is communicated to link Ill, causingcover 2 to open against the resistance of hinge spring 33.

3 At the same time, link I causes clutch holder 28 to rotate throughpart of a circle, carrying with it clutch 29 and wheel 26. Rotation ofwheel 26 brings the serrations 3l of its surface in frictional contactwith pyrophoric element I9, causing sparks to be directed against fuelsaturated wick 20, thereupon lighting it. To provide an air intake, hole34 is provided in case I asshown in dotted outline in Figure 1 inproximity to Wick 20.

Release of finger piece 4 permits the stored up energy of closing spring8 and hinge spring 33 to restore all of the parts to their normal `orclosed position, as shown in Figure 1.

To insert a new wick requires the opening of closure 24 and the slidingof a new wick into place after removal of the old one. 'I'he sameclosure at the base of the wick guide 22 permits the introduction ofliquid fuel, which is absorbed and stored within case l by fuelabsorbent material 25. i

Itis apparent that many modifications of my invention may be made, andthe foregoing description is intended to be illustrative only and in noWay limiting upon the scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

In a pocket lighter, a combination of an open ended case, a cover hingedthereon along one edge, an operating mechanism supporting housingadapted to t Within the case and partition oi a fuel receptacle in thelower portion thereof, a guide tube extending through the fuelreceptacle one end yof which is opposite a closable opening through theexterior wall of the case the other end supported by and opening outthrough the said housing, a wick carried in said guide tube, a pair ofparallel plates extending upward of the housing, an abradant surfacedwheel rotatably mounted adjacent to the wick on a shaft journalled insuch parallel plates, a ratchet on one side of said wheel along itsperiphery, a pyrophoric element in operative engagement with said wheel,a nger piece slidably mounted near its outer end in an opening in thecase nearly opposite the hinged edge of the cover and having an attachedpair of rods extending within the case, a lever arm with a forked endand pivotally mounted at its other end within said housing and providedwith journals to receive the finger piece rod extensions, a springinterposed between said lever arm and case pressing the finger pieceoutward and resistant to inward pressure, a link member pivotallyconnected at one end to the cover and having a pin crosswise of itslength adapted to rest within the forked end of the lever larm, a clutchcarrying member rotatably mounted coaxially and in embracingrelationship with the abradant surfaced wheel and pivotally connectedwith said link member, and a clutch piece contained by said carryingmember with a detent normally engaged in an interspace of the ratchet onthe side of said Wheel.

ADOLPH CAMPOS.

REFERENCES CITEDy The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,045,683 Danicek et al. Nov. 26,1912 1,061,074 Heym May 6, 1913 1,986,098 Beck Jan, 1, 1935 2,125,637Hopperstand Aug. 2, 1938 2,164,872 Evans July 4, 1939 2,210,322 KornerAug. 6, 1940 2,286,160 Richards June 9, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS NumberCountry Date 148,198 Austria Dec. 28, 1936 213,303 Switzerland Jan. 31,1941 338,693 Great Britain Nov. 27, 1930 500,665 France Jan. 2, 1920

